Police should stop
over-reacting, dismantle the roadblocks creating massive jams in KL and
Klang Valley and issue police permit for the Hindraf rally

____________Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang
_______________

(Parliament,
Friday):The police should not repeat
their over-reaction and high-handed action on Nov. 10 over the peaceful
40,000-people Bersih gathering to hand over a petition to the Yang di
Pertuan Agong for electoral reforms to ensure free, fair and clean
elections and should immediately dismantle the roadblocks creating massive
jams in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley since yesterday.

The massive Nov. 10 traffic gridlock creating massive congestions in Kuala
Lumpur and Klang Valley were largely the creation of the police and could
have been avoided or ameliorated considerably with enlightened and
sensitive police handling of peaceful gatherings by citizens exercising
their fundamental constitutional rights to get their voices heard in a
meaningful democracy.

If the Police had issued a police permit for the Bersih peaceful gathering
on Nov. 10, demonstrating greater sensitivity and respect for human rights
guaranteed in the Malaysian Constitution as recommended by the Dzaiddin
Royal Police Commission 30 months ago, all legitimate concerns would have
been met – the concerns of the police and government with regard to law
and order and the concerns of aggrieved citizenry to petition the Yang di
Pertuan Agong for an end to electoral abuses.

For the Hindraf rally on Sunday, the Police has not only refused to learn
any lesson to respect the human rights of Malaysians to peaceful assembly,
but has decided even earlier to impose roadblocks – starting since
yesterday on various roads and expressways in the Klang Valley.

Headlines of such traffic gridlocks are already in the media – “Klang
Valley chokes up” (The Star), “Roadblocks mounted ahead of
Hindraf rally”(The Sun), “Massive traffic jams leading into
the city”(New Straits Times) and “Police roadblocks jam up
roads, again”(Malaysiakini).

From all indications, the traffic gridlock in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang
Valley this time is going to be worse than a fortnight ago – no thanks to
the police.

The police should stop over-reacting, dismantle the roadblocks creating
massive jams in KL and Klang Valley and issue police permit for the
Hindraf rally.

The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has again threatened
prosecution against parents for bringing their children to any peaceful
assembly.

Musa and all police personnel must be reminded that such warnings cannot
absolve them of responsibility to ensure that the police do not harm
children and women by abuse of power and excessive use of force in any
crowd control.

The world has unforgettable images of the Myanmar military brutalizing
defenseless monks in the September “saffron revolution”. Does Musa want
the world to have equally unforgettable images of the Malaysian police
brutalizing children?

The Inspector-General of Police must ensure that nothing is done to turn
Nov. 25 into a bloody Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, which can only add shame and
ignominy to Malaysia’s international reputation.